Court Information

Local Rules

Format and Service of Legal Paper by Parties and Court; Electronic Filing

Rule 4.2A Citation or Notice to Individuals and Entities

The Bucks County Law Reporter is hereby designated as the legal newspaper and periodical for the publication of legal advertisements and notices required by law, rule, order or decree of court.

Every notice or advertisement required by law, rule, order or decree of court in one or more newspapers of general circulation, unless dispensed with by special order of the court, shall also be published in the Bucks County Law Reporter.

Rule 4.7A Electronic Filing

(a)(1) Any legal paper permitted to be filed under the Pennsylvania Orphans’ Court Rules may be filed electronically under the procedures set forth in this rule.

(b)(1) All legal papers to be electronically filed shall be presented in portable document format (“.pdf”).

(b)(2) Legal papers may be submitted to the clerk in a hard copy format. In that event, the clerk shall electronically scan such legal paper into .pdf format and maintain it in that format. Any documents scanned into .pdf format may be returned to the filing party for maintenance pursuant to Pa.O.C. Rule 4.7(c)(3).

(c)(1) All legal papers that are filed electronically shall be filed through the clerk’s Electronic Filing System (“Electronic Filing System”). General access to the Electronic Filing System shall be provided through a link to the Orphans’ Court appearing on the County of Bucks website at www.buckscounty.org.

(c)(2) Parties who are not attorneys shall register with the Electronic Filing System in order to file legal papers electronically. Registrants shall provide the name, mailing address, e-mail address, phone number, and other identifying information as required by the clerk.

(d)(1) The clerk shall accept credit and debit cards for payment of all filing fees and shall take reasonable steps to ensure payment.

(e) (Reserved)

(f)(1) Upon receipt of an electronically filed legal paper, the clerk shall provide the filing party with an acknowledgement, which includes the date and time the legal paper was received by the Electronic Filing System. The clerk shall also provide the filing party with notice that the legal paper was accepted for filing. If the legal paper is not accepted upon presentation for filing or is refused for filing by the Electronic Filing System, the clerk shall immediately notify the party presenting the legal paper for filing the date of presentation, the fact that the document was not accepted or refused for filing by the system, and the reason therefor. All acknowledgements and notices under this subsection will be sent to the e-mail address provided by the filing party.

(f)(2) The clerk shall maintain an electronic copy of all legal papers filed.

Final written approval for implementation of the Electronic Filing System as described within Bucks County Orphans’ Court Rule 4.7A shall be issued by the court.